"This is for my family. I do this to help my family, you know, to give my dad a chance to rest. My dad is my inspiration." - Waleed at Aladdin's Bakery
At one time in Ottawa's history, Eva Afife Wahab was the go-to person in the Muslim community.
Born in 1914, Wahab was the first Muslim child born in Ottawa. Her father emigrated from Lebanon to Canada in 1903, and her family was the first Muslim family in the nation's capital. Prior to that, it was individual Muslims who had settled here.
Canadian Islam: Belonging & Loyalty, written by Imam Zijad Delic, is a discussion about the identity of Muslims in Canada. It is a book that could not be more relevant than it is today with the rise of the Islamic State (IS) and the cases of Canadian recruits who have made national and international headlines.
The book aims to establish Muslims as a natural part of Canadian society—something that Canadian non-Muslims, as well as some Muslims, have trouble believing.
What do Canada’s one million Muslims really think?
Nobody knows but it’s certainly a question that the research firm Environics, along with several national partners, hope to answer in a new survey of Canadian Muslims coming soon.
Canada reluctantly bade farewell to a loving daughter with sorrow, admiration, respect and warmth.
In a poignant memorial ceremony on June 11, the country and the Muslim community said good-bye to Lieutenant-Commander Wafa Dabbagh after she succumbed to her long battle with cancer.
Wafa made history when she joined the Canadian armed forces in 1996 wearing the hijab. Officers were baffled by why a practicing Muslim woman wanted to join, and wondered how her recruitment would work out. She won that battle easily -- everyone she met loved her friendliness. They not only accepted her, they embraced her.